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Mark
Home gardener & plant fetishist
Berkeley, California, USA
Looking terrific, Faith1 May '08 12:08 pm
What a difference a year has made in those rose berms! They have so much more presence now that they gave grown up a bit. The whole garden is looking lovely but the berms are something else again. Nothing like going 3-D to catch my eye. I only have a moment now but intend to come back and savor these individually soon. (We're close to state testing.)
-Mark
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Faith S
Perpetually learning gardener
Alabama, USA
Time flies!18 Jun '08 4:36 am
I can't believe my last post was almost two months ago. Where has my summer gone? I have, of course, been a little busy; but still I am letting down all the Southern hemisphere folks who depend on us Northern hemisphere gardeners.
We have had blessed rain this season. Just about one inch per week, which is ideal. I have only watered a couple of times, with the exception of all my pots of course. Along with the rain, we have had some very warm weather. Makes outdoor chores pretty unbearable at mid day, so we try to get outside early in the morning and late afternoon. My vegetable garden is in full swing. I've gotten lots of snow peas and broccoli, but now the warm weather is calling a halt to those things. I am now starting to harvest green beans, yellow squash, peppers, strawberries, blueberries and lots of basil. I've been busy making pesto to freeze in ice cube trays. I love to use these cubes of pesto when making pasta, stir fries, soups, etc. They are very handy to have around all winter. Tomatoes will probably start ripening by the Fourth of July and I'll be very busy trying to harvest and preserve all my vegies in between work days at The Lovelady Center Victory Garden.
Here are just a few pics I've been able to snap. Never seem to have time for wandering around with the camera.
Rose arbor in full bloom.jpg
This photo was taken May 16, 2008. The New Dawn roses covering the swing arbor have reached their peak.l
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New Dawn and Etoile Violette.jpg
The Etoile Violette Clematis that grows along with New Dawn has finally reached the top of the arbor. It is such a pretty combination, but not easy to photograph.
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Muscovie mama and babies.jpg
The Muscovie duck babies are growing fast. Mama takes them out exploring more and more each day.
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Muscovies almost grown up.jpg
This was taken just the other day. They are almost as big as mama now and are getting their adult coloring. As you can see, they have made themselves right at home.
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Chipmunk Sunflower 2.jpg
I have a rogue chipmunk (or perhaps several) who insists on burying sunflower seed from my bird feeders all over the garden. All my pots and planters are constantly sprouting sunflowers. I decided to let these go.
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Chipmunk Sunflower.jpg
This is the tallest one. They are growing in the box where my Angel's Trumpet lives. The Angel's Trumpet is growing up among the sunflowers.
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Four O'clocks 2008 version.jpg
I planted Four O'Clocks several years ago. These return each year, but I swear they are different colors each year. Last year they were pink with hot pink streaks.
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Memories rose.jpg
The roses have all gone through a first flush, a pause, and now are starting a second flush. This is one of my favorites.
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Huge hosta.jpg
This huge white blooming hosta is doing well since the Natchez Crape Myrtle has grown big enough to give it some shade.
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White lilies standing tall.jpg
The lilies were all lying on the ground until I picked them up and propped them on their supports. They are much prettier up than down.
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Dixie
garden enthusiast
Waikato-New Zealand
lovely18 Jun '08 6:38 am
it is all so lovely,Faith-I had to smile about the industrious chipmunks-they sound so cute.Your roses over the swing arch are spectacular.The ducks are looking great,and the pale pink rose is gorgeous-everything actually!
Dixie.
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Kerole
nominate your own title
Taupaki, New Zealand
Go the chipmunks!18 Jun '08 3:57 pm
Faith, I am a huge fan of yours - for your work at the Lovelady Centre and for your gorgeous garden at home. Coming from a country with no squirrels, chipmunks, moles, groundhogs etc, we tend to find the thought of them appealing. Very cute - though I'm sure they have their moments!
You have a lovely place Faith.
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MacFlax
nominate your own title
Canberra, Australia
18 Jun '08 5:31 pm
Gorgeous. I want an arbor like yours!
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moosey
head gardener
smiles18 Jun '08 5:32 pm
Your pictures have brought a rather soppy smile to my face - it's still there! I've sat on that very seat! Dear Faith - thanks so much for colouring up us southern hemisphere gardeners' winters.
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Faith S
Perpetually learning gardener
Alabama, USA
Quick visit29 Jun '08 1:21 pm
Thanks to all my old (and new) friends from New Zealand, Australia and California. I have missed my daily read of Moosey's Journal, so I just spent an hour catching up. I am currently reading "A Year in the World" by Frances Mayes about her latest travels. She and her husband visited a different country or area each month for a whole year. They have been to Andalucia, Portugal, Naples, Taormina, Southern Italy, Fez (in Africa), Burgundy, The British Isles, the Islands of Greece, Crete and Mani so far in my reading. Next is Scotland, Turkey's Lycian Coast, Capri and Mantova. She is giving me a serious case of "travel lust". Unfortunately neither my pocketbook, nor my schedule will allow any sort of travel right now. Not to mention, all my animals who would have no one to care for them if I went away for even one night. Oh well, I can at least enjoy reading about all those exotic places and the wonderful gardens of my worldwide network of gardening friends. I am really so blessed and thankful for my busy life and my gardens and animals.
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Faith S
Perpetually learning gardener
Alabama, USA
September Update24 Sep '08 1:26 am
Well, it's been a very busy summer for me; as evidenced by my sporadic posts to the Forum. I really should get out and take some photos to post before winter sets in. Now if only I could find a non-messy garden area to photograph. I do have some duck news to report. Actually I'm in a quandary about how to proceed here. My mother Muscovy duck has started laying eggs in a nest in one of my horse stalls. She has three so far. I don't know if many of you realize that chickens and ducks will lay one egg per day until they have whatever number they decide is appropriate to start sitting on to hatch. I am not sure how long they sit on a next before the baby ducks start to hatch, but I think it is four to six weeks. Her last batch of babies contained twelve chicks. At one egg a day, that means all the eggs took twelve or more days to lay, then six weeks to hatch. This means these new chicks won't be hatching until mid November. They mature in about four months (mid March). What should I do? My hubby says they're semi-wild animals, just leave them alone, they know what they're doing. I don't know though. I think I might have to put a heater in the duck pen for the winter. Does that sound a little neurotic or what?
I will try to get some photos to post before first frost.
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moosey
head gardener
Duckling Heaters24 Sep '08 9:37 am
Leaving it to 'nature'? Gosh, I'd probably tinker with it, just a little. It's not ducks, but I noticed that some of my tadpoles seem to have 'wintered over' in their bathtub. There would have been a few times when it had thin morning ice on the top. So how magical are these little creatures? I'm certain that they've got 'out of sync' with the seasons.
I'd probably lend a casual helping hand, nothing too fussy, to those ducks - or maybe make sure there was great insulation for them, rather than a heater. Duckling heaters... Hmm....
Cheers, and it's great to hear again from you. Everytime something of an alarming weather nature for the USA comes on our news I check on a map to see where it is and where you are! Hope all is well in your garden.
M
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jack two
nominate your own title
The new improved Jack Holloway v.2
Catch up24 Sep '08 7:44 pm
Hi there, Faith!
I missed out on your mid-summer postings. Your garden is (was!) looking great, and I loved all the green after a good season! You make me aware that I must try to intervene a little more this season in making mine successful - last summer I was a disaster in the garden. I end the busiest three months of my life to date today, when we break up for the spring holiday. Basically next term I tie up loose ends at school, with few extra-mural responsibilities, and get my mind into being self-employed from 2009...
Anyway - thanks for posting! (As for the ducks: it's a male thing to say 'let them be' and a female thing to nurture...)
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